Ceiling-block and electric cut-out for incandescent lamps.



829,026..' PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

I J. A. MEBANB. CEILING BLOCK AND ELECTRIC GUT-OUT FOR INOANDESGENT LAMPS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. Ilmll P'ATENTED AUG 21, 1906.

J. A NIB-BANE. CEILING BLOCK AND ELECTRIC GUT-OUT FOR INGANDESGENT LAMPS.

I 'ron J rrNrrEn STATES PATENT oEEioE.

JAMES ALEXANDER MEBANE, OF SOUTH BOSTON, VIRGINIA.

CEILING-BLOCK AND ELECTRIC CUT OUT FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21. 1906.

Application filed June 29,1905. Serial No. 267,607.

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved ceiling-block and electric cut-out for incandescent lamps; and it consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of my invention is to efi'ect improvements in the construction of the base and cap.

A further object is to provide improved means to effect electrical connection between the conductors, Which are attached, respec tively, to the base and cap.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the base. Fig. 2 is an inverted perspective view of the cap. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the base and cap and showing the same connected together, and Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on a plane at right angles to Fig. 3.

The base 1 may be either of the form here shown or of any other suitable form in general outline. As here shown, it is provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed outwardlyprojecting lugs 2 and is otherwise of substantially truncated conical form. At the center of the base, on the inner side thereof, is a projecting stud 3, which is substantially conical in form. The said base is hollowed on its inner side to form a pair of channels 4, which are concentric with the stud 3. Each of the said channels has one end inclined, as at 5. Openings 6 for the reception of head portions of screws used to secure the base to a wall or ceiling communicate with the channels 4. The lugs 2 are longitudinally recessed on their inner sides, as at 6 the said recesses communicating at their inner ends with the deeper ends of the channels 4. In the said recesses are terminal plates 7, which are secured to the base by means of screws 8 9, the last-mentioned screws being also employed to secure feed-wires a to the outer ends of the said terminal plates. The inner ends of the said terminal plates project into the deeper ends of the channels 4 at a suitable distance from the bottoms of the said channels and carry contact-springs 10, each of which is made of a single strip of suitable spring metal, preferably brass, bent to form a hook 11 and a loop 12, said hook and loop being reversely directed and the said loop portion of each spring being attached to the inner end of one of the terminal plates. By the provision of the said loops 12 the said hooks 11 are adapted for spring movement of considerable amplitude'toward and from the respective terminal plates, and it will be observed that the loops formed by the said hooks 11 are normally closed by the bills 13 of the said hooks and that the said bills are curved outwardly from the loops 12.

Thecap 14 is here shown as of substantially conical form. The same is formed with the centrally-disposed socket 15 on its inner side of a size to adapt it to receive the conical stud 3 of the base 1. The said socket 15 is deepened, so that it extends considerably beyond the outer end of the stud 3, and serves to hold the knotted portion Z) of the lamp-cord c, the terminal portions of the said cord passing through radial recesses 16 in the cap, which recesses communicate with channels 17, which register with the channels 4 of the base and are concentric with the said socket 15. In the end of each channel 17 is a conducting plate 18, secured in place by means of screws 19. The plates 18 are each connected at one end with one of the terminals of the lamp-cord by means of a screw 20. In the opposite ends of the channels 17 are conducting-plates 21, secured by means of screws 22 and formed or provided with catches 23, which are adapted to engage the hooks 11 of the terminal plates 7. Fusewires 24 connect the respective plates 18 with the respective plates 21 and are disposed in the channels 17, which afford con venient access thereto. The said fuse-wires are secured to the plates 18 21 by means of screws 25, as shown, so that they may be readily renewed when they are burned out.

When attaching the cap to the base, the stud 3 of the base enters the socket 15 of the cap, whereby the latter is exactly centered with reference to the base, the catches of the cap extending into the channels 4 of the base, and said channels serve to clear the said catches so that the cap may be partly turned to cause its catches to be engaged with the spring-hooks 13 of the base. The outturned ing the cap to be removed from the base prevents casual disengagement thereof.

The cap and base may be made of porcelain or of any other suitable material.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the class described comprising a base having oppositely-disposed, outwardly-projecting lugs, a centrally-disposed projecting stud, a pair of channels concentric with the stud, and longitudinal recesses in the inner sides of the lugs and communicating with said channels and further provided with terminal plates in said recesses, extending into and having hooks disposed in said channels, in combination with a cap having a socket to receive said stud and cen' ter said cap with reference to the base, said cap being further provided with channels concentric with the socket and to register with those of the base, conducting-plates 21 to register with those in said channels and having catches to engage the hooks of the base, plates 18 also in said channels, fusewires connecting the plates 18 and 21, and means to connect conducting-wires to said plates 18.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a base having a pair of channels concentrio with its center, terminal plates secured to the base and provided with reversely-disposed resilient loops terminating in springhooks, in combination with a cap having channels corresponding with. those of the base, said cap having terminal plates provided with catches to enter the hooks and coact therewith to secure the cap to the base.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ALEXANDER MEBANE. l/Vitnesses:

H. J. VVATKINS, Sr., H. J. VVATKINS, Jr. 

